DALLAS — The new pedestrian bridge over U.S. 75 in North Dallas opened on Monday. And so it took until Thursday before a picture started making the rounds on social media: An SUV ended up on the bridge.
Adam Reed took that photo and says he was just eating lunch at Cindi’s New York Deli and Restaurant when something caught his eye out the window.
“And there's a bicyclist [waving his hands]. It didn't really click to me at first. And then I realized. She's on the pedestrian bridge two days after it opened,” said Reed.
He did what most of us would – snapped a photo then posted it to social media. Then watched as the woman struggled to get back down the ramp.
“Poor lady was back up. Go forward, back up, go forward,” said Reed.
Days later, you can still the tire marks from the car.
The $9.3 million pedestrian bridge connects a trio of trails over US 75 in Dallas. Reed works on the east side of it and had been looking forward to the bridge opening this week but says he’s now concerned about how safe it is.
“Well, it is a little confusing,” he said. “I mean if you look, if you go down Northhaven, it does kind of look like it's a turn lane that goes on 75.”
He’s right. On the west side of 75, Northhaven runs parallel to where you enter the bridge. There’s a divided lane with enough room for a car. And even though there is a “no motor vehicle sign” at the entryway, it’s easy for drivers to miss. Plus, the barrier post isn’t until half way up the ramp.
“What I can't quite figure out is why they put the post up there and not down here at the entrance,” said Reed.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) says they’re aware and in the short term are working to install temporary barriers at both ends of the bridge and the city of Dallas will do some additional striping on the roadway. Then both agencies will figure out where to put additional signage to make this safer for those biking, skating, and walking across.
Early Friday morning, WFAA's Chris Sadeghi was doing his live shot at the bridge, when a car pulled up and nearly turned onto the bridge entryway, instead of the street.
The driver figured it out and turned right on Northaven, instead of going up the ramp and onto the pedestrian bridge. But it was easy to see why there might have been some confusion.